Coin-controlled mechanism



W. MILLARD.

COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 191?.

1,344,769. Patented June 29, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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COIN CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2, 1917- 3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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Patented June 29,

3 SHEETSSHEE W. MILLARD.

COIN CONTR D MECHANISM.

'APPLICATION JUNE 12. 1917.

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UNITED STATES WILLIAM mm, or NEW YORK, 11. Y.

, ASSIGNOR TO MILLARDS GUM VENDING CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ACORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIN-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MILLARD, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at the boron h of Manhattan, city, county, and Stateof ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCoin-Controlled Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in coin-controlled mechanism andparticularly to improvements in that type of coin-controlled mechanismin which the coin performs the functions of a connecting element betweenthe power or driving shaft and the feed-shaft commonly found incoincontrolled vending-machines; and an object of this invention is toprovide a coin-controlled mechanism of the character just referred towhich will prove simple in construction, comparatively cheap inmanufacture and efiicient and susceptible of ready repair in operationand use.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and thebest mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure 1 is afront elevation of a coin-controlled vending-machine embodying thisinvention in its construction; Fig. 2 is a like view in which the frontcasing-plate has been removed in order to illustrate the interiormechanism; Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are sections on the lines 3-3, 4-1 and 55,respectively, of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail illustrating the powershaft;Fig. 7 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow A of Fig.6; Fig. 8 is an end view of the feedsha'ft; Fig. 9. is afront'elevation, and Fig. 10 is an end elevation, of a modified form offeed-shaft; Fig. 11 is a sectionlon the line 11-11 of Fig. 9; Fig.12 isa front elevation of a second modified formof feedshaft; and Fig. "13 isa section on the line The casing a isof theusual formcomand'is closed bya front casing-'plate 'or] cover-plate; the lower edge of which isformed with a pair of downwardly-projecting studs thatjfit int'o holesor sockets I Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 29 1920Application filed June 12,

1917. Serial No. 17 L179.

er-plate 1) consists of a window 6' through which the packaged goods 7may be viewed. Below the window 6 the cover-plate b is formed with aguard-fiange or shield b that curves downwardly and outwardly andshields from view the discharge opening I)" through which fall the goods7, when the machine is operated (Figs. 3 and 4.). The goods f arearranged vertically in columns separated by the partition-walls 9 thatproject forwardly from the back-plate g. The cover-plate b is formedwith a coin-slot k that admits the coin h to a downwardlyinclinedcoin-chute h (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) formed in the side j of the casing 72.

The operating or driving-shaft 2' extends from side to side of thecasing b at about the height of the discharge-opening b and its ends arejournaled in the sides 9', j of the casing 71. This driving-shaft orpowershaft 2' is a rock-shaft and, in the form herein shown, is providedat one end with a wheel is the cylindrical face 70' of which is milledto enable it to be grasped firmly by the operator, in order that he maturn the operating-shaft i with ease; but desire it tobe understood thatI do not intend to limit this invention to a manually-operateddriving-shaft 2'. projects inwardly, through a semi-circular slot jformed in the side 7' of the casing b, a curved flange m that extendsthrough an arc of about ninety degrees (Figs. 5, 6 and 7). The swing,back and forth, of the opcrating-shaft i is determined by the limits 'oftravel of the arcuate flange m in the From the wheel is, there .is aboutninety degrees.

The feed-shaft k is loosely mounted on 1 v, the power-shafti and isformed with four mon in coin-controlled vending-machines collars orfeed-rolls n upo'n each of which rests a column of the packaged goods 7and 1 plane bottoms n". Against one end of the feed-shaft is presses thefree upper end of a leaf-spring 0 the base of which is fastened to theside-wall y" of the casing Z) (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) and, from the other end70* of the feed shaft 70'', there project lengthwise of the same, andtoward the opposite side-wall j, four lugs or fingers p which are spacedequidistantly around the feedshaft is and a pair of which lie, in theworking position of the latter, directly below the lower end of thecoin-chute h" (Figs. 2, 5 and 8).

The operation of the coin-controlled mechanism may be briefly described,as follows: A coin it allowed to drop through the coin-slot h andcoin-chute h falls between a pair of the coin-lugs or coin-fingers 29between which the coin hfits somewhat snugly with its lower half restingon'the operating shaft 2' (Fig. 5). If themilled wheel k be now turnedin the direction of the arrow in Fig. 5, the arcuate flange m is broughtinto engagement with the coin h and continued turning of the wheel 70 inthe same direction results in the simultaneous turning of the feed-shaft7a". The turning of the latter turns with it the feed-rolls n; and thatfeed-roll in the recess 12 of which there has fallen one of the packages7 will discharge the package (Fig. 3) and another of the feed-rolls nwill be brought into position to receive-a package 7, which will bedischarged when the machine is next oper ated.

By merely varying the form of the feeding collars, the machine may beadapted to vend commodities of difi'erent kinds. Thus, in Figs. 12 and13, the feeding collar 1' is rectangular in shape and, in each of itsfaces, except the two end faces, there is formed a hemispherical recess7' shaped to receive a gum-ball or like round article. In the formillustrated in Figs. 9 to 11, inclusive, the discharging shaft is" isformed with wings or vanes s and is adapted to feed peanuts or the like.

As will be readily understood by all skilled in the art, it is utterlyimmaterial to the invention described hereinbefore whether the operatingshaft i be rocked intermittently by hand or continuously by mechanicalpower.

I am aware of the United States Patent, No. 924928, granted Henry Peinon the 15th June, 1909. But, in the mechanism hereinbefore described,the arcuate slot j" permits the purchaser to look inside the ma chineand, should the flange m have been left by the previous user thereof atthe end of its forward travel, even a purchaser of immature age, such asa young child, will quickly learn to throw the feed-shaft back andallowthe coin to fall into place for engagement by the flange m. Peins spring23 may therefore be dis ensed with. By mounting the feed-shaft on theoperating-shaft z, the two shafts are automatically maintained inalinement with each other and the proper operation of the machine isinsured.

I claim:

1. In a coin controlledmechanism, a casing, an operating shaft extendingthrough the casing, said casing having a curved slot partly surroundingthe shaft, a wheel secured to one end of the operating shaft and havingan arcuate flange extending inwardly through the curved slot to projectinto-the casing, a tubular feed-shaft loosely mounted upon the operatingshaft and provided with article feeding members. an extension secured toone end of the tubular feed-shaft and provided with spaced lugs whichslidably contact with the casing, a coin chute carried by the casing todeliver a coin between the lugs, the coin held between the lugs beingarranged in the path of travel of said flange, and a spring slidablyengaging one feed member of the tubular feed shaft and serving to shiftthe same longitudinally toward the exposed end of the operating shaft.

2. A coin-controlled mechanism of the type wherein there are provided acasing; a feed-shaft and an operating-shaft mounted therein and normallyfree to be rotated independently of each other, said operatingshaftbeing accessible to the purchaser; coinintercepting means mounted onsaid feedshaft; a coin-chute for guiding the coin to said means; and aninterlocking device mounted on said operating shaft and arranged toengage the coin held b said means and thereby to interlock the s afts;characterized in that the casing is formed with an arcuate slot throughwhich the purchaser may see the coin held by said means and within whichsaid interlocking device travels and the ends of which limit the travelof the latter and the throw of the shaft upon which the same is mounted.

3. A coin-controlled mechanism of the type wherein there are provided acasing; a feed-shaft and an operating-shaft mounted therein and normallyfree to be rotated independently of each other said operating-shaftbeing accessible to the purchaser; coin-intercepting means mounted onsaid feed-shaft; a coin-chute for guiding the coin to said means; and aninterlocking device mounted on said operating shaft and arranged toengage the coin held by said means and thereby to interlock the shafts;the easing being formed with an arcuate slot through which the purchasermay see the coin held by said means and within which said interlockingdevice travels and the ends of which limit the travel of the latter andthe city, county and State of New York this throw of the shaft uponwhich the same eleventh day of June, 1917, in the presence is mounted;characterized in that the feedof the two undersigned witnesses. shaft ishollow and is loosel mounted on WILLIAM MILLARD. 5 and automaticallykept in a inement with Witnesses:

the operating-shaft. GEORGE E. BROWN,

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, JAMES HAMILTON.

